Electromagnetic fuel pump



Dec. 22, 1931. P. s. TICE 1,837,505

ELECTROMAGNETIC FUEL PUMP original Filed Feb. 13, 1928 2 sheets-sheet 1 Dec. 22, 1931. P. s. TICE 1,837,505

ELECTROMAGNETIC FUEL PUMP Original Filed Feb. 13, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I, Patented Dec. 22, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT oFF-ICE rnzacivar. s. Tron, or enrol-1Go, AILLINOIS, assreNoa To STEWART-WARNER consom- TION, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF VBGINA ELECTROMAGNETIG FUEL PUMP original application. mea February 1a, 192s, sen'ai No. 253,974. Divided and this application med December l 5, 1929. seria1m.411,so1. 1

This application is a division of my copending application for patent on electromagnetic fuel pump, Serial No. 253,974, filed February 13, 1928. The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved construction for feeding fuel from low level source to the carbureter of an internal combustion engine, the same comprising an electromagnetic pumping device. It consists in the elements and features of construction shown and' described as indicated in the claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing an installation of the invention.

.Figure 2 is a vertical section axial -with respect to the cylinder of a form of electroinagnetic pumping device embodying the invention designed and adapted to be -installed submerged in the main tank from which vthe fuel is to be pumped for supplying the carbureter. Figure 3 is apsection at the line 3-3 on Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section at vthe line 4 4 on Figure 2. l A Figure 5 is a detail section at the line 5-5 on Figure 2. i'.

Figure 6 is a section at the line 6-6 on Figure 1 and Figure 7 Figure 7 is a section at the line 7-7 o'nI Figure 6. y

Referring to the drawings: The carbureter of the engine to be served is seen at A; the main fuell tank usually carried at the rear of the vehicle to be served is seen at B; the umping device in its entirety is indicatedJ submerged in the fuel in the tank, B, and connected by a pipe, 10, leading out of the t'op of the tank with a pipe, 11', for conduct'- ing the fuel to a local 'fuel container, 12, of small capacity', mounted in proximity to the engine as at the front of the dash and under the cowl, and connected by the pipe, 13, for delivering the fuel by gravity to the carbureter.

In this installation the governing switch device indicated in its entirety on Figure 1 by reference letter, D,' is mounted on thev at C, where it is seenl container, 12, hereinafter more particularly identified as consisting of a casing, 90, having chambers, 91 and 98, for containing a limited quantity of fuel pumped thereto.

The construction of the pumping device will iirst be described in detail. 'It is of the general character of an electromagnetic pump in which the electromagnetic elements are of quasi solenoid type;` that is, the iron core, 40, encompassed by the circuit windings, 41, 41, is hollow, and the armature element, 42, is adapted to telescope with the hollow core which has its ends litted with pole pieces, 43, 43, between which the armature element, 42, has "a short range of reciprocation in thetubular core, 40, which serves also as a pump barrel or cylin- 'der in which the armature element,'42, operates as a piston, being suitably providedwith packing rings as indicated at 44.

The' pole pleces, 43, 43, are each apertured accommodated at the o posite ends in axial recesses, 42"?, b, int e piston amature,

said springs reacting between the bottoms of these recesses and the pole pieces respectively, tending torposition the armature piston equidistantly between the two pole pieces, andso tending to return it to this position whenv the pole piece which has attracted it iii one direction, compressing the spring at that side, is de-energized by the interruption of the current through the circuit winding at that end of the magnet. The tubular core member,-40, is adaptedffor retaining the' circuit windings by having fitted securely on it midway in its length `an iron annular d isk,

48, forming a spool head between the two windings; and similar iron spool heads, 48,

, tition wall, 169, at the inner side of which in.

48a, are securely fitted on the opposite outer ends of the pole pieces, 43, 43.

The entire electro-magnet assembly as thus described is encompassed by a sleeve, 49, which is fitted snugly to the spool heads, 48, 48, 48a, and at the right hand end (referring to Figure 2) there is secured an insulating disk, 50, upon which is mounted a snap over switch member, 51, hereinafter more particularly described, which is operated by the thrust of the rod, 46, upon the movement of the armature piston under the alternating attraction of the opposite pole pieces, for shifting the current back and forth between the two circuit windings, to cause said alternating attraction.- The assembly encompassed and made securely unitary by the sleeve, 49, is enclosed in a casing, 60, in

which it is fitted so as to partition the mainP cavity of the casing from the two cavities, 45, 45, from which the pipe, 10, leads for conducting the fuel in `its way to the carbureter above described.

It may be understood that the entire pump structure as seen in Figure 2 being submerged in the main tank derives fuel supply through a filter screen, 64, mounted on an annular bottom Hange, 65, of the casing, 60, and enclosing an entrance chamber, 61, from which the fuel is drawn alternately into the cavities, 45, 45, by the alternating strokes of the piston member, 42, the fuel entering past check valves, 67, 67, and being discharged from the cavities, 45, 45, respectively, past check valves 68 and 69 (see Figure 3) into the passa e, 62, formed in a boss, 66, at the upper side o the casing, 60, from which passage, 62, the ipe, 10, leads to the carbureter.

T e snap switch will now be described in detail in its relation to the parts of the circuit which it connects. A conductor, 70, leads from the engine ignition switch, not shown, through the governing switch, D, hereinafter described, and into and through the pipe, 10, into the chamber, 62, and therein to a binding post, 71, mounted in the parthe chamber, 62, said binding post is in contact with the resilient tongue, 72, of a bracket, 73, which is mounted on the insulating disk, 50. To this bracket the snap lever, 51, is

pivoted at its upper end, said snap lever be-.

ing forked at the lower end for carrying at that end a roller, 74, one end of which obta'ins its journal bearing in an elongated slot, 75, in one of the fork arms, 76, its' journal bearing at the other end in the other fork arm being loose to permit the first mentioned end to play in the slot without cramping the bearing at the opposite end; and a stretched spring, 77, connects the first mentioned end t.

of the roller with the pivot of the lever at its upper end to the bracket as mentioned. The rod, 46, carries a conoidal cam collar, 78,

05 formed tapering from the maximum diameter midway of its length, narrowing toward both ends. This cam collar is mounted on the rod, 46, at such position that midway in the stroke of the p-iston, 42, said cam -collar stands with the plane of its maximum diameter containing the axis of the pivot of the lever, 51; and the length of said lever from its pivot at the upper end to the mounting ofthe roller, 7 4, at its lower end is such that the spring, 77, operates to hold the roller stressed upwardly against the cam collar.

Upon considering this construction it will be understood that when the rod carrying the double cone cam collar, 7 8, is thrust by the armature piston from one extreme position to the other,in' passing the midway position it will force the roller against the resistance of the stretched spring outward from the axis of the cone, and Aupon the reaction of the spring pulling it back against the slope of the cone the lever will be swung in the opposite direction from the thrust of the rod. On the insulating disk, 50, there are mounted so as to project at opposite sides of the lever,

'51, spring contacts, 80 and 81, which are connected respectively by circuit wires, 82 and 83, with the outer coils of the windings, 41 and 41, said windings having their innermost coils grounded by their connection to the core.

It will be seen from this construction that the thrust of the armature piston upon its attraction by one of the magnet pole pieces upon the energizing of that pole piece, by the current through its winding will cause ithe operation of the snap switch to shift the current to the other winding, energizing the opposite pole piece which will thereupon retract the armature piston, again reversing the connection, and thus the reciprocation of the armature piston will continue, and the pumping action will continue, pumping the fuel, until by any means, or from any cause, either the resistance of the fuel to the pumping action exceeds the pumping capacity of the device, or the energizing circuit is interrupted otherwise than in the alternating manner described which causes the reciprocation.

The intent of the structure being to maintain the pumping action in such manner as to maintain the supply of fuel to the carbureter and to interrupt the pumping action when the supply exceeds the carbureter requirements in the least degree, provision is made for interrupting the circuit by the action of the fuel pumped when the supply passes the predetermined limit of the requirement of the carbureter. This interruption of the circuit is effected by the governing device which will now be described.

The governing device, indicated in totality by reference letterD includes theY casing, 90, and particularly the chamber, 91, therein, the outer side wall ofwhich comprises a iexible diaphragm, 92,*stressed inwardly by .an eX- f center of the diaphragm, 92, so that the reaction of the spring, 93, tends to enforce the contact of the buttons, 94i and 95". A

The casing'has a chamber, 98, extending up alongside the chamber, 91, to a hei ht determined upon for adapting said cham r, 98, to act as a stand pi e for liquid communication with the cham er, 91, for exerting pres sure on the diaphragm to expand said chamber,V 9 1, and icause the diaphragm to withdraw the spacer, 97, from the spring contact,

-. 95, and permit the latter to react for separating the buttons, 94a and 95a, or if the spacer is attached to the spring contacts,-as it may be,-to withdraw the spring contact with the,

spacer, and separate the buttons, breaking the circuit. 'lhe casing, 90, as to both its chambers, 91 and 98, is in communication through the pipe, 11, with the discharge of the pumping device, said pipe being connected at the-side of the casing, 90, through a nipple, 99, leading to a hollow boss, 99, which opens downwardly at the center of the circular base, 90b, of lthe casing, 90, which is peripherally flanged as seen at 90, and shouldered as seen at 90d, for seating on and'closing the upper end of a sediment cup, 90x, between which and the casing there is clamped a strainer, 905', and a gasket, 90z, the strainer being clamped at the end of the central boss,

99, by a T-itting screwed into the boss and constituting the continuation of the entrance passage for liquid which is thus introduced below the strainer and passes up through the latter into 'the chamber, 98, and thence by ports, 98d, in the partition, 98, into the chamber,'91. c s

The operation of the construction shown may be understood from the foregoing description to be as follows:

The main fuel tank, B, being supplied with fuel submerging the pump shown in Figure 2, and the electric circuit being energized from the current source, the absence of pressure in the fuel li-ne 11-13 permits the switch shown in Figure 6 to be closed, and the solenoid windings, .4l-41 of the pump, seen in Figure 2, are accordingly .alternately energized, the alternation being effected by the action of the snap switch comprising the snap lever, 51, as above described.

The alternate energizing ofthe solenoid winding produces the reciprocation of the solenoid armaturepiston member, 42, for

pumping the fuel, which is forced by way of the fuel line 11--13 to the carbureter, passing through the chamber, 91, of the governing device, in which chamber the pressure of the liquid operates on the diaphragm, 92, tending to expand the chamber y and separate the switch contacts, 94 and 95, and effecting such separation when the pressure exceeds the resilient reaction of the spring, 93,; whereupon the solenoid windings being dee-energized, the operation of the pump is interrupted until the decline of pressure in the fuel line permits the switch to close causing the re-energized pump to resume operation.

I claim:

.1. An apparatus for supplying fuel to an internal combustion engine from a fuel source at a lower level than the engine carbureter comprising in combination with a main fuel supply source, an electrically energized pumping device mounted in position to be entirely submerged both as tothe pump parts and as to the -electric motorparts in the fuel at the main fuel supply source, a fuel delivery conduit leadin from the pump for supplying the engine, tle energizing electric circuit being extended in portions of said conduit and comprising a switch submerged in the fuel moving through said conduit.

2. In an apparatus for supplying fuel to an internal combustion engine from a fuel source at alower level lthan the engine carv bureter comprismg in combmation with a` main fuel supply tank,.an electrically energized. pumping device mounted within said main tank in position to have its intake submerged in the fuel content of the tank; a fuel delivery conduit from the pump to the engine; a circuit in which the motor element of said pumping device is energized extended in said fuel delivery conduit; a governing'switch interposed in the circuit having its cooperating circuit-makingand-breaking members submerged in the fuel passing from the-'pump tothe engine comprising a fuel accumulatin apparatus comprising a fuel-containing vc amber at al higher level than the engine carbureter, the pump motor energizing circuit being extended through said fuel accumulating apparatus, and the governing Vswitch being arranged in concated at a higher level than the carbureter` intake, the pump energizing circuit extending within the fuel conduit to said apparatus, said apparatus comprising a standpipe member and a variable capacity chamber having liquid communication with the lower part of the standpipe member, and having a movable wall member by whose movement the chamber capacity is varied, and a governing switch in said' circuit having its cooperating members positionedin said variable capacity chamber for submergence in the fuel content thereof.

5. In an electromagnetic fuel pumping ap paratus for supplying the carburetor of an 'internal combustion engine, a pair of elec tro magnets and armatures for them respectively, the armatures being connected t0 gether for simultaneous movement in the direction of the magnetic attraction of the magnets respectively; a circuit in which both magnets are energized, comprising a switch arranged for shifting the circuit from tlnl winding of one magnet to the winding of the other, and opera-ting connections from the connected armatures for operating the switch in the direction for breaking the circuit through the winding of the magnet by whose armature the switch is thus operated; a pumping chamber and piston reciprocating therein operatively connected with the connected armatures, the pumping cham ber having communication at its opposite ends for inflow and discharge of the fuel to be pumped; a hollow casing within whose cavity the structure comprising the magnets, armature, pumping chamber and piston is contained and enclosed, the communication of the opposite ends of the pumping chamber being with said casing cavity, said casing having at each end a 'fuel inlet and a. fuel discharge port, and valves controlling said ports respectively opening for flow through the casing in one direction and seating against reverse flow.

6. In the construction defined in claim 5, the structure comprising the two magnets', armatures, pump chamber and piston, constituting a partition in the casing, dividing it into two chambers, and separating an inlet and an outlet at one'side from an inlet and outlet at the other side of. said partition.

7. In the construction defined in claim 5, the structure comprising the magnets, armatures, pump chamber and piston, constituting a partition in the casing dividing it into two chambers and separating an inlet and an outlet at one side from an inlet and outlet at the other side of such partition, the casing having a third chamber with which the outlet from both the separated chambers communicate, and a fuel discharge conduit from said third chamber.

8. In the construction defined in claim 5, the two magnets being mounted with their armature-attracting poles facing in opposite directions, the armatures being connected rigidly across the extent of the magnets between said oppositely facing poles, the pump chamber being located in said interval, and the pump piston being carried by connection between the armatures.

9. In the construction defined in claim 5, the magnet-controlling switch for shifting the circuit from one magnet winding to the other being located within the casing whose cavity is partitioned by the magnet and pump structure at one side of said partitioning structure, and connections extending in said partitioning structure from the side thereof opposite that at which the switch is located for operating the switch by the armature at said opposite side.

l0. In a fuel feeding -system4 for motor vehicle internal combustion engines, a source of fuel supply for the engine carbureter, and fuel pumping means associated therewith for impelling the fuel to the carbureter; electrically energized means for operating the pumping means, and a fuel-conducting pipe line from the pump to the carbureter; a pressure chamber in said pipe line, the energizing circuit of the pumping means comprising a conducting part extending from the electric pump-operating means into said pressure chamber and out of said chamber to a source of current, and comprising contacts located within the pressure chamber and insulated carrying vmeans for the same, and means exposed to the fuel pressure in said pressure chamber and adapted to be moved thereby operatively connected with the carrying means of one of said contacts for moving the latter to separate the contacts upon the fuel pressure in said chamber reaching a predetermined degree.

11. A fuel feeding system for supplying an internal combustion engine comprising a fuel supply tank, an electrically energized pump mounted at the bottom part of the tank for submergence of its intake in the fuel content of the tank, a fuel delivery conduit leading from the discharge of the pump upwardly emerging from the upper part of the tank and continuing thence to the engine, said conduit comprising a chamber outside the tank,

the pump-energizing` circuit beingextended 'from the pump inside said conduit into said chamber, and-comprising a ciremit-making-` v and-breaking switch having both its co- 5 operating contacts located in said chamber and therein 'arranged to be operated by the fuel pressure due to the pumping, for interrupting the circuit upon predetermined pressure in said chamber. l 10 In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set v my hand atChicago, Illinois, this 29th day of November, 1929.v PERCIVAL S. TICE. 

